Casino Most Viable for Michael Reese Land

Over the years we've spent a little time covering the future of the former Michael Reese Hospital campus just south of the Stevenson highway.  Today, Mayor Emanuel's team released findings from a report they commissioned on the subject (via Chicago Tribune):

Remains of the former Michael Reese Hospital
(image from Chicago Tribune)

A Chicago casino anchoring a redevelopment that includes the former Michael Reese Hospital site would be more economically viable for the city than a Barack Obama presidential library or a cluster of convention hotels, according to a study Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration released Tuesday.  

A hired team led by the Chicago-based architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was charged with creating a framework to redevelop the 48-acre Near South Side site, but their recommendations extended far beyond that parcel.

The article goes into more depth on the topic and is interesting if you're into big, city led projects.  We're still skeptical about the whole idea, but eventually something will happen down there.  What continues to be uncertain.

Lollapalooza Agrees to Chip in Money for Park on South Side of Grant Park

We got word of a potential skate park and entertainment space coming to the South end of Grant Park earlier this year and yesterday DNAinfo had an update on the project:

Area of Project (via DNAinfo)

Lollapalooza's organizers will chip in toward the cost of building a sleek 3-acre skate park and entertainment hub at the south end of Grant Park, said Bob O'Neill, president of the Grant Park Conservancy.  

Funding will be raised privately to augment the $2.5 million in Near South TIF money already allotted to the project, O'Neill said at a Greater South Loop Association state of the neighborhood meeting on Saturday.  

The project on the land bounded by 11th Street and Roosevelt Road, Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive will include an obstacle course of ramps, rails and ledges and a projection screen and mini-amphitheater surrounded by landscaped hills.

Sounds like a positive project and one that would help beautify the strange area just west of the train tracks.

Assuming this does get the green light, we will be curious to see if it coincides with the Roosevelt street scape project.  The projects would overlap, so it seems like cost efficiencies could be had.

(Hat tip:  MT!)

Riff Music Lounge Looks To Fulfill Your Dancing Desires at 2239 S. Michigan

LED lit bar at Riff Music Lounge - 2239 S. Michigan (via Urban Daddy)

Much has been made about the future "entertainment district" that the city wants to come to Motor Row.  So far it's been mostly talk.  Yes we know about the impending Broad Shoulders Brewery.  Yes we know about the plans for a event center and hotel.  And yes we know about the new green line L stop the city is building at Cermak and State.  But until any of those things open or really progress, Motor Row will continue to be an enigma.

Well maybe not.

A reader tipped us to a new music venue that is opening up called Riff Music Lounge (2239 S. Michigan).  According to Urban Daddy:

Sometimes you want to dance.  

Sometimes you need to dance.  

And sometimes... well, sometimes you just need to watch other people need to dance.
So meet Riff Music Lounge, a South Loop recording studio repurposed for your getting-down and vodka-and-Red-Bull-ing needs, soft-open next weekend (weekend of Nov 22nd).  

Pressure Point Studios used to use this as a recording studio for artists like Justin Timberlake, J. Lo and Mariah Carey, but now the studio’s entirely upstairs. Still, don’t be surprised if you notice the occasional drop-in by a visiting recording-industry dignitary. 

Outside of Riff (via CBS Chicago)

Interesting.  We actually recently drove by the spot and did notice some activity in the area.  So it makes sense to hear about this opening.

While dancing might not appeal to the core demographic in the South Loop (maybe it does?), it's nice to have variety in the neighborhood.  Riff joins two other intimate music venues in the broader Motor Row area.

The Shrine (2109 S. Wabash), which mostly books hip-hop and rap music, and Reggie's (2109 S. State), which books a wide variety of live acts, are pretty popular despite their relatively desolate surroundings.

Maybe this Motor Row Entertainment District is real...

Anyway, welcome to the neighborhood Riff Music Lounge.  Oh and if you're interested they're officially opening on Wednesday, November 27th with DJ Trentino:


(Hat tip:  RZ!)

Shots Around the Sloop: Support Lines

(Hat tip:  ML!)

Claim Your Sloopin Hat Tip T-Shirt

A friendly reminder to claim your Sloopin Hat Tip T-Shirt if you've submitted a story and your initials are listed below:

• K-Pax
• OS
• ET
• GM
• SP
• BP
• AK
• KB
• RH
• MM
• EB
• SH
• RG

For more background on the hat tip t-shirt program click here.

As always, thanks for all the great tips!  Keep them coming!

New Giordano's (1340 S. Michigan) Gets Food License and is Open

We've received a lot of emails asking about when the Giordano's at 1340 S. Michigan would open.  Well a reader recently sent us a link to a post on chicagodevnews.com that sheds some light on the topic:

The city of Chicago issued a new retail food establishment license on Nov. 7 to South Loop Pizza LLC, doing business as Giordano’s Restaurant.

The business license for a location at 1340 S. Michigan Ave. in the Near South Side lists a license payment start date of Nov. 7, expiring on Nov. 15, 2015.

We walked by last night and can officially say they're open.

Of interest is that the article goes on to discuss the origin of deep-dish pizza:

Giordano’s is an American pizza shop and Italian eatery chain based in Chicago. Giordano’s, founded by Efren and Joseph Boglio in 1974, is famous for Chicago-style stuffed deep-dish pizza. Although the claim is argued by Nancy’s, Giordano’s is generally credited with the creation of stuffed pizza, based on the Boglios’ mother’s recipe for Italian Easter pie.

Ironically this coincides with a segment from the Daily Show where John Stewart rips Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza:

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook

Finally if that's not enough for your reading pleasure this Friday, the website provides some background on the "Near South Side" and provides the following:

The Near South Side, absorbed into Chicago in 1853, was the site of the 1933-34 World’s Fair and has been home to Native American tribes, blue collar workers, public housing and a warehouse district. The area is currently experiencing rapid residential gentrification.

Oh gentrification - the word that is sooooo controversial.  If you want to read more on our thoughts here is a post from 2009.  We will leave it at that.

(Hat tip:  RG!)

Jo-Ann Fabrics Opens at Joffco Square (555 W. Roosevelt)

Entrance to Jo-Ann Fabrics (2nd Floor of Joffco Square Retail Building)

A reader writes:

Just got back from the new Jo Ann fabric and craft store at Joffco Square (upstairs from Best Buy on the same floor as Bed Bath & Beyond) 555 W Roosevelt. It's a large, bright store with a great selection of items and the people working there are super friendly.

Welcome to the neighborhood.  This is just one of many big box retailers that is opening on Roosevelt road.  For some older posts on the "thriving roosevelt road corridor" click here.

Business counter is updated.

(Hat tip: SH!)

Acadia Awarded One Star By Michelin Guide

Local fine dining gem Acadia (1639 S. Wabash) has been awarded one star from the Michelin Guide.  This is the second year in a row that the restaurant has been awarded this honor:

@AcadiaChef_Ryan Congrats chef & team! The ambition is evident on the plates every night. Who knew Maine could be so wonderful? #onestar
— Michelin Guide (@MichelinGuideCH) November 12, 2013

 Also, it looks like chef Ryan McCaskey had to work double duty for the annoucnement party last night:

.@AcadiaChef_Ryan setting up the chef tasting table for tonight's Star Gala! #MichelinStars pic.twitter.com/s0BqYFLClp
— Michelin Guides (@MichelinGuides) November 12, 2013

Congrats and glad to have you in the Sloop!

We Need 12 More Votes - Help Sloopin Get a Grant!

Thanks to everyone who voted for us in the "Mission Main Street Grant" contest! 

We are almost there!  As of last night we had  238 of the 250 votes needed to be eligible to make it to the final round.  We have 4 more days and need to get 12 more votes!

So if you haven't voted for us please do.  It's very easy & could potentially help us improve Sloopin.

For more information read our old post on the program.  Thanks in advance for the vote!



Update:  So you guys come hard!  We had 238 vote yesterday and now we have over 300 votes.  A simple post and you respond in such a strong way.  Thanks to everyone who voted and everyone who comes to Sloopin.  At this point we've done what we can.  It's now in the hands of the panelists and hopefully they see why we could use the grant.  Thanks again!

Bureau Bar Opens and So Does Clothing Boutique on East 16th Street

The Bureau Bar has finally opened at 75 e. 16th street (the old Three Peas art lounge space).  It hasn't been easy, but the owners persevered and are finally open.  As you may remember the bar was having issues securing a liquor license because of neighbors in the building objecting.  We haven't been to the bar since it's opened, but are looking forward to trying it out.

Just a couple stores to the west it looks like a new clothing boutique has quickly popped up.

While we don't know the name of the boutique, we can confirm that it's open.  We also searched the City of Chicago website, but couldn't find their business license (however we might have just missed it).

Anyway, a reader sent us this info on the spot:

There is a new store that has opened on 16th between Michigan and Wabash in the old upscale shoe store spot next to the Abyss salon and the nail place. I haven't quite figured out what the story is because the hours are odd, but there are a bunch of tee shirts displayed in a pretty sparse looking shop. 

I spoke with the owner of the spot (former owner of the now defunct shoe store that was there) when he was waiting for the guys to come collect keys a few weeks ago and he confirmed that info. He also mentioned something about geeky tees, and I am wondering if the place is maybe a new outpost for fashion geek 2k10 clothing, which seems to have sloop roots.  

Anyway, I'll send more info if I can catch the guys but thought it should be on your business counter radar.

Interesting.  First off, we're not sure what Fashion Geek 2K10 clothing is but they do have a Facebook page (however the last post was in 2011).  Second, best of luck to whatever new business this is.

Does anyone have any additional info?

(Hat tip: EB and JB!)

AMLI Rental Building at Clark & Polk Tops Out

AMLI Rental Building at Clark and Lake tops out at 11 stories (pic via Curbed Chicago)

Curbed Chicago had a post today about the new AMLI rental building:

The AMLI rental development at Clark & Polk in the South Loop is baring down on a mid-2014 completion. The 11-story duo, each building containing 199 apartments, has topped out. The massing is of great benefit to a blotchy section of Clark from Roosevelt to Polk (there's still more blankness to solve, and south of Roosevelt... forget about it). When Curbed last looked in the buildings were at four stories, just peeking over the Metra tracks at the site's western boundary.

Happy Veterans Day from Sloopin

Happy Veterans Day from your friends at Sloopin!

Shots Around the Sloop: Lucky

(Hat tip: MM!)

Printers Row Named 2nd Most Walkable Neighborhood in Chicago; South Loop Ranked 34th

We always slightly roll our eyes at rankings like these, but regardless Walk Score recently released their 2014 national rankings.  Chicago was ranked the 6th most walkable city in the country (behind  NY, SF, Boston, Philly and Miami).

Specifically looking at our neighborhood, Printers Row came in at 2nd place, Dearborn Park came in at 29th and the South Loop came in at 34th.  Other surrounding neighborhoods include The Loop (4th), Chinatown (24th),  Pilsen (38th) and University Village/Little Italy (53rd).

In 2011, Printers Row was ranked the number 1 most walkable neighborhood in Chicago.  We must be slipping.

Here is a list of the top 40: